May 31, 2014

NEW BLU-RAY EDITIONS

A pair of rare, out-of-print cult movies are making their way to Blu-ray this summer: Remo Williams and Elio Petri's early Mastroianni classic, The Assassin! Two more reasons to pick up an all-region player (both editions are PAL format from England). Details below.

Remo Williams (1985) starring Fred Ward and Joel Grey (directed by 007 alum Guy Hamilton!), will be released on July 7th. From AmazonUK: "First they faked his death and gave him a new identity. Now
a top secret organisation is training a former New York cop to combat corrupt
forces operating outside of the law. His mentor, Chiun, is an ageing Korean
master of the martial arts who can run on water and dodge speeding bullets. Born on the pages of Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir s The
Destroyer series of men s adventure novels, Remo Williams was placed in the
capable hands of Bond director Guy Hamilton (Goldfinger, The Man with the
Golden Gun) for his big-screen outing. Fred Ward (Tremors) plays the trainee
assassin, with Academy Award-winner Joel Grey (Cabaret) occupying the role of
Chiun. With its classic set-piece atop the Statue of Liberty,
much-loved score by Craig Safan and a healthy sense of its own silliness, Remo
Williams: The Adventure Begins... offers up a cracking slice of mid-eighties
action. SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS: High definition digital transfer. Newly created and exclusive content including interviews with
cast and crew! Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned
artwork by The Red Dress. Collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film and
more!

The Assassin (1961) starring Marcello Mastroianni and directed by Elio Petri (The 10th Victim, Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion) will be released on June 21st. From AmazonUK: "Released within months of Fellini s La Dolce Vita and Antonioni
s La Notte, Elio Petri s dazzling first feature L Assassino also stars Marcello
Mastroianni, this time as dandyish thirtysomething antiques dealer Alfredo
Martelli, arrested on suspicion of murdering his older, far wealthier lover
Adalgisa (Micheline Presle). But as the increasingly Kafkaesque police
investigation proceeds, it becomes less and less important whether Martelli
actually committed the crime as his entire lifestyle is effectively put on
trial. Best known for Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion
and The Tenth Victim, Petri was one of the finest and yet most underrated
Italian directors of the 1960s and 70s. Highly acclaimed on its original UK
release but unjustly neglected since, L Assassino is a remarkably assured debut
from one of the cinema s sharpest chroniclers of Italian social and political
realities. Petri said that he wanted to reflect the changes wrought by the
early sixties, and to examine a new generation of upstarts who lacked any kind
of moral scruple. Arrow Academy is proud to present the first ever UK video
release of L Assassino in a gorgeous high-definition restoration created by the
Cineteca di Bologna. SPECIAL FEATURES: New 2K digital restoration from the Cineteca di Bologna. Uncompressed Mono 2.0 PCM Audio. Elio Petri and L Assassino, an introduction by Italian
cinema expert Pasquale Iannone. Tonino Guerra: A Poet in the Movies: Nicola Tranquillino s
documentary about the great Italian screenwriter. Theatrical Trailer. Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned
artwork by Jay Shaw. Booklet featuring new writing on the film by Elio Petri
expert Camilla Zamboni, plus a selection of contemporary reviews.

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Jason Whiton

Jason Whiton is an award-winning writer, artist, educator, and the creator of Spy Vibe, a website devoted to Cold War design and pop culture that has seen nearly three-million visitors. His publications include Rolling Stone, USA Weekend, & Mort Walker Conversations. His book Spy Vibe will be released in 2017. Whiton's work as a screenwriter and filmmaker has been recognized by the Nicholl Fellowships (Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences), PBS, and major film festivals and museums. His most recent piece is a music re-mix and award-winning film for Yoko Ono. Whiton's spy novel about a 1960s fashion model, MIKI ZERO, is out with agents. The story is inspired by his passion for Ian Fleming and the culture of Japan, where he lived for many years.
Jason loves creative projects & collaborations, and he enjoys helping young people to explore their lives as artists. He teaches Art in San Francisco.